Only Christian kids given a prize

[IDontWantRealism]

Can someone help me see reason with this? My kids are atheist but Jewish by ancestry. They go to a non-denominational school but in a very traditional rural area with lots of Christian students. They ran a competition which involved making a profession of faith over Easter. Obviously my kids didn’t enter but many others did. We were told there would be a prize but today at school all children who entered were given a prize leaving out the few non-Christian children and the few other children who didn’t enter. That’s not ok is it? I need some help navigating this as the school have form. We’ve previously had to moan about them being taught other problematic views.

The OP might have a case to complain about the competition taking place at all but not that they didn't give a prize to children who didn't participate. It's a bit late now.

But they didn’t ‘have to’. They could choose whether to enter or not.

If it was a competition devised and run by the school it is a problem.

If it was a competition run by an external organisation that the school promoted to its pupils then it doesn’t sound like a problem. (Although without more details it’s hard to say.)

I’d bring it up with them, and maybe also consult Humanists UK for advice.

It seems pretty thoughtless of the school.

My children attend a multidenominational school (Dublin) - they never would have ran a competition like this - it goes against every ounce of inclusiveness.
Why didn't they set the competition along the lines of- within the Christian faith what is the significance of Easter etc.

That school is doing what a few do here - multi denomination with a very tiny multi - it drives me nuts as on paper they are meeting the needs of the community then you attend for an open day and there are religious artifices everywhere and assembly starts with a prayer. But all over their website and according to our Dept of Education they are multi denominational! 🤔

They were excluded from being able to enter though. Would it be more straightforward if they were Muslim or Jewish? I’m not being facetious, I am trying to understand why it would be acceptable. It wouldn’t be ok for a Muslim or Jewish child to be expected to write “Jesus Lives” and decorate it, would it?

It was a contest effectively for Christians so non-Christians who did not enter did not get any of the prizes and that's exclusion. Is that what you are saying?

If so, I totally disagree. You can't get a prize unless you enter.

Sorry I think you are over reacting to this

obviously it’s hard for us to tell , not knowing the exact details of the competition.

it’s does seem a strange competition- do you know exactly what it was ie with a letter home ? Or are you relayed this possibly not quite accurate message by your children?

I wouldn’t give it another thought- your children have probably forgotten too .

if you are unhappy with the school in general, perhaps there is another one that suits better .

if you don’t enter something , you can’t win it !! (Although I do too keep waiting for my lottery win to be deposited in my account 😂)

And this is what all sensible schools do, it educates the children about the cultures and faiths around them in their communities.

No need for you to get offended OP, I bet the kids dont feel offended! And I also bet your kids would have entered that compettition if you hadn't thought it tantamount to them joining a cult or something!

Was there an Eid competition to coincide with today?

it does sound exclusionary to me.

For instance, my DC’s primary school is always saying ‘Here’s a maths/RSPB/anti-bullying/Children In Need/creative writing/fill in the blank’ competition that you could enter if you want to. There’s* *often a prize. This sounds like that.

Hold on, were they only writing those two words? If so, you're being ridiculous

I’m not keen on tne competition from what you have said.

but in England (I’m not sure about the rest of the U.K.) there is no such thing as a non religious schools. All schools are expected to do some level of daily religious worship, unless the school is linked to another faith this will be broadly Christian in nature.

schools interpret this differently but rightly or wrongly there is no such thing as a religion free school

Surely it's not hard to understand why a person who practices another faith would have a problem with writing something like Jesus Lives?

Easter is about Jesus, the rest is commercial fun stuff.

Do me a favour @7Worfs. Google the etymology of the word 'Easter'. It will blow your mind.

It was Easter and we are a predominately Christian country. We allow other religions to celebrate their festivals ( not something we are afforded in some other countries) Shall the majority ignore their festivals just to suit the minorities ? Your children are atheist, your choice, live with it. If it such a huge problem in your life move the children to a school that has no links with any church, chapel synagogue, mosque etc.

I guess it also depends if Christian children didn't enter and didn't get a prize. If all the Christian children entered and therefore got a prize it'd be really off, as it would be exclusionary. If only half the Christian children entered it's not so bad.
This is why schools do Easter hat decorating or Easter egg designs - it's open to everyone

I mean it's a weird thing to make into a competition. Are any of your Christian parent friends also annoyed by if? Going to the school collectively and saying that proclaiming a religious sentiment isn't something to be trivialised into a competition, least of all because it's actively encouraging children to make false proclamations so they'll get a prize and ostracising those who neither have nor claim to profess to have Christian beliefs.

It IS exclusionary because none Christians cannot enter unless school is asking them to make false claims.

An Easter bonnet competition, an egg box design competition etc, are fine. My Sikh friends daughter did a Last Supper scene made from eggs, we did Mario Bros. Both were fine and everyone could join in.

Why would you assume I don’t know how Christianity absorbed a lot of pagan stuff? 🧐
It doesn’t mean Easter isn’t the highest of holidays in Christianity.

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I'd have had a problem with this in a community school, i.e. a secular school. We specifically chose secular schools for our children because we are atheists and our children were brought up not practising any religion. No problem at all with learning about other people's religious beliefs, no problem with celebrating all the common religious festivals from world religions, but a competition run by the school requiring them to profess faith? No, step too far.

Reminds me of the time a colleague was incandescent because her child had won a school prize and had to buy a book to be presented at Prizegiving. Child chose The God Delusion. The local vicar was presenting the prizes. School was a community secondary, i.e. secular. Headteacher kept the book back so the vicar wouldn't have to present it. Ridiculous!

Mistake post ⬆️ soz

This was my thought. The boys have taken part in competitions etc before for Christmas and Easter. This was a statement of belief they were being asked to make. My oldest could name some of other kids who didn’t go up and they were predominantly other religions or none.

It’s basically a counting sheet with He Is Risen on it, and the kids had to colour in the phrase?

Was it a competition just for your school, or was it run by a different organisation?